Car plows into crowd at car show

BOISE - Boise Police now say that 11 people have been injured after a car went into a crowd at the Boise Spectrum, a complex of movie theaters, shops and restaurants near Cole and Overland roads.

It happened at about 10:20 a.m. Saturday during two events at the complex, Cars and Coffee and Rock'N Brews & BBQ.

Boise Police say a driver leaving the car show parking lot crashed into several people who were on the sidewalk. Also, the investigation is ongoing, but preliminary information shows that the driver of a Porsche Spyder was accelerating rapidly as he left the car show from Entertainment onto eastbound Overland Road, lost control, and went onto the curb and into the crowd on a grassy area.

Six people were transported to the hospital by ambulance, and five went in private vehicles. Boise Police Lt. Charles Lebar said "some of the injuries are serious, but none of them are critical."

"It appears that they're not life-threatening at this time," Lebar added.

The driver is cooperating with the investigation.

"We do not have any information that this was an intentional act," Lebar said. "It is my understanding that there was at least one person that was taking video of the cars that were leaving the parking lot, and accelerating quickly eastbound on Overland."

Video courtesy of Jesus Ramos - Warning: graphic content and language

In Facebook messages to KTVB, a witness wrote that "a guy in a gray Porsche Spider (sic) was leaving Cars and Coffee, and went to burn out of the car show in front of a crowd along Overland watching the cars all leave. He lost control and drove into the crowd. My husband was nearby. I left the area because I was scared of all the peeling out so close to the crowd. My husband saw people all over the ground."

Eastbound Overland Road was closed from Entertainment Way to Cole Road as a crash reconstruction team investigated Saturday afternoon.

At this point, there's no word on whether the driver will face any criminal charges. Police will forward information to the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney's Office when the investigation is completed.

Lt. Lebar said "excessive acceleration" is to blame for what happened.

"I have no doubt that the driver did not intend to do what he did, but that is an unfortunate consequence of reckless driving."